ABOUT THE AWARD

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The Business Book of the Year Award, inaugurated in 2005 and continuously evolving in prestige and scope, recognises the most insightful and influential works in the genre. This globally esteemed award, conceived by the Financial Times and supported by various prestigious partners over the years—including Schroders (2023-present), McKinsey & Company (2014–2022), and Goldman Sachs (2005–2013)—celebrates excellence in business writing.

Each year, the award honours the author or authors of a book that provides the most compelling and enjoyable insights into critical business issues such as management, technology, climate, finance, and economics. The winner receives a top prize of £30,000, with each of the other finalists receiving £10,000, highlighting the significant contributions of these authors to contemporary business discourse.

The selection process is rigorous and chaired by FT editor Roula Khalaf. Publishers are encouraged to submit authors' work in digital format. A longlist is announced in August. The judging panel , prioritising works whose insights will stand the test of time, selects up to six finalists, and the shortlist is revealed live in September.

Previous Winners: The award has recognized a variety of groundbreaking books over the years. Recent recipients include Amy Edmondson in 2023 for Right Kind of Wrong: Why Learning to Fail Can Teach Us to Thrive, and Chris Miller in 2022 for Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology. Other winners include Nicole Perlroth, whose 2021 book This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends delves into the cyberweapons arms race, and Sarah Frier's 2020 work No Filter, which chronicles the rise of Instagram.

Read the Competition Terms and Conditions

Business Book of the Year Award Winners 2005 - 2023

Amy Edmondson has won the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year Award for Right Kind of Wrong, about how to learn from failure and take better risks.

Her book won over the judges with its systematic, richly illustrated exploration of how to build on “intelligent failure” and its critique of the craze for failure that often hypnotises entrepreneurs and innovators.

Harvard Business School professor Edmondson is best known for her research into “psychological safety”. Right Kind of Wrong is the first mainstream management book to win the £30,000 award, now in its 19th year.

Roula Khalaf, editor of the Financial Times said, “The fight for semiconductors and the quest for supply chain resilience are among the biggest economic and business stories of our time and will be for much of the near future.”

2022

Roula Khalaf, editor of the Financial Times said, “Nicole Perlroth has done something that hasn't been done before: going this deep into the mysterious world of hackers. Cyber security isn't featuring highly enough on CEOs' agenda. I hope this award will prompt them to read this book and pay attention.”